The Great American Ale Trail (Revised Edition)
Page 15
KEY BEER
Speedway Stout, at 12% ABV, is already a huge beer, carbon black and dense with coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt flavors. The barrel-aged version takes it to 11, with even deeper notes of vanilla, oak, espresso, and caramel, having lived in wood for a full year.
BALLAST POINT BREWING CO./HOMEBREW MART
5401 Linda Vista Rd., Ste. 406 San Diego, CA 92110 • (619) 295-2337 • ballastpoint.com • Established: 1996
SCENE & STORY
Ballast Point Brewing Company, ranked as the top small brewery in the country in 2010, started with a home brewer’s dream. True story: Jack White opened his little home brew shop in 1992, and soon a community of home brewers eager to try his beers helped him think even bigger. By 1996, White was ready to install a 15bbl brewhouse, and Ballast Point was born. Today there’s several Ballast Point locations, but Homebrew Mart retains the charm (and the original brewing equipment, still in use) of the early days in San Diego’s beer revolution.
Brewmaster (and vice president) Colby Chandler leads a team that’s playing around with barrel aging, Belgian-style sour beers, and wild yeasts. These vinous ales overlaid with hints of oak and brandy are blended on site, with production so small-scale that most of these beers are rarely seen outside of San Diego County. Try the full Ballast Point line in the back of the store at the little tasting bar, with the barrel projects available on occasion. It’s the best-kept secret for finding—and sharing—beer knowledge in San Diego.
PHILOSOPHY
Beer creates community. And good beer is worth good money people should be able to share, too. In 2015 Ballast Point also announced an I.P.O. for a mere $173 million, then was acquired in the end of the year by Constellation brands for $1 billion. That’s billion, with a B. And it’s business as usual in the craft beer world of this era.
KEY BEER
Ask about the barrel-aging projects. Or try the flowery, tangerine-y double dry-hopped Sculpin IPA (7% ABV), which offers an aromatic blast of citrus and flowers. A new version called Grapefruit Sculpin (with grapefruit juice added) was a huge hit in the summer of 2015 on the West Coast.
HAMILTON’S TAVERN
1521 30th St. • San Diego, CA 92192 (619) 238-5460 • hamiltonstavern.com • Established: 2006
SCENE & STORY
Almost end to end, San Diego’s 30th Street has turned into a craft beer lover’s avenue in recent years, with Hamilton’s anchoring the quiet, residential southern reaches near the southeast corner of Balboa Park. Formerly a dive bar known as Sparky’s, and site of the oldest liquor license in San Diego (first listed around seventy-five years ago), Hamilton’s is the brainchild of owner Scot Blair, who cleaned it out, hung the ceiling with a wild collection of tap handles, and added a sandwich and burger café next door. There are twenty-eight taps, 150 bottled options, and two casks on all times, with a strong focus on California specialties like Russian River, AleSmith, and Firestone Walker, and a few especially interesting choices from small European brewers.
PHILOSOPHY
Come on in. Hamilton’s is a friendly neighborhood bar with a superb beer list and great food next door. Herman Hamilton, a teetotaling elderly U.S. Marine who lives in the neighborhood and for whom the bar was named, despite having no taste for drink, is said to have spent a fair amount of time visiting and telling stories with the bearded Blair and his friends, who keep the bar hopping—but seldom slammed to the point of annoyance.
KEY BEER
Brasserie Ellezelloise’s Quintine Blonde, an 8% ABV Belgian strong pale ale on the sweet side, with honey, bread, and herbal notes. And on a recent visit, I scored a rare bottle of Logsdon Peche ’n Brett, a tart treat to share with old pals.
TORONADO
4026 30th St. • San Diego, CA 92104 (619) 282-0456 • toronadosd.com • Established: 2008
SCENE & STORY
Cleaner and less cluttered than its parent bar in San Francisco, Toronado San Diego is about one thing, and one thing only: craft beer. A small, narrowish bar in North Park, it has a world-class selection of taps emanating from a metal-plated wall in the corner. The beer list skews toward SoCal brewers like AleSmith, Lost Abbey, Pizza Port, Alpine, and Green Flash, with some Belgian left fielders like De Landtsheer for good measure. The goods are routinely fresh and served in the right glass by someone who knows what they’re talking about, and there’s a nice little patio out back should crowds get to be a bit much for the stools and small high tables. Every time I walk in, it seems I run into someone interesting from the beer world. No matter what, it’s worth a trip for anyone looking for a great selection in a relaxed atmosphere.
PHILOSOPHY
Unpretentious excellence. While it can surely happen, attitude is not generally served up at Toronado. It’s just a great place to have a beer, try something new, and meet or make friends.
KEY BEER
Alpine’s California Uncommon (5.7% ABV), Pat McIlhenney’s version of “steam” beer, the sort of lager beer fermented at warmer temperatures that Anchor made famous. It’s got a wallop of hop character and a soft, caramel malt base for harmony.
Alpine
ALPINE BEER CO.
2351 Alpine Blvd. • Alpine, CA 91901 (619) 445-2337 • alpinebeerco.com • Established: 1999
SCENE & STORY
From downtown San Diego, it’s about a forty-minute drive into the Coast Range foothills on Interstate 8 toward Yuma, Arizona, to get to Alpine Brewing Company, where Pat McIlhenney, a former full-time fire captain, and his son Shawn built their own little corner of heaven: a small-production brewery and barbecue café in an old TV-repair shop, with copper-sided kettles running a few times a week. Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to be. Now, thanks to the fast-spreading fame of their IPAs in particular, they’re brewing and bottling practically dawn till dusk, adding fermentation tanks and a cold storage room and a barbecue café next door to boot. All of it was built by hand. It seems to be working. “I cannot make beer fast enough,” said the elder McIlhenney. His twelve tap and eight bottled brews achieved cult status, heightened by their rarity—and a slew of laurels, like a gold in 2010 in American-style strong pale ales for O’Brien’s IPA, beating fifty-eight other contenders. Until recently, you had to drive up to Alpine or—at the very least—find a great beer bar in San Diego County to drink the good stuff. In 2014 it was announced Alpine and Green Flash were merging operations, a development that means one thing: lots more fresh Alpine beer.
PHILOSOPHY
The McIlhenneys keep it simple: “Drink Alpine Beer or Go to Bed!”
KEY BEER
Duet IPA (7% ABV), full of the fresh, floral flavors of Simcoe and Amarillo hops, two once fairly rare varieties.
BEST of the REST: CALIFORNIA
CITY BEER STORE
1168 Folsom St., No. 101 • San Francisco, CA 94103 • (415) 503-1033 • citybeerstore.com
In this little SoMa bottle and draft emporium (inspired by wine shops and organized by style rather than brand) visitors sip fresh, ultrarare domestic and imported craft beers and snack on artisan cheese plates and freshly baked breads. There are six taps for growlers and more than 300 bottled beers to mix and match. Opened in 2006, it has become a key gathering place for San Francisco craft beer fanatics.
BEER REVOLUTION
464 3rd St. • Oakland, CA 94607 • (510) 452-2337 • beer-revolution.com
This combination bottle shop and craft beer bar opened in 2010 and became an anchor of east Bay Area drinking culture, despite its humble location and pallid fluorescent lighting. All 500 selections are available to take home—or pop open right here for a mere dollar. Then there are forty-seven drafts to choose from and a sunny patio for al fresco tastings. Add in correct glassware for every beer, appearances by notable brewers, and afternoon barbecues, and you have all the ingredients for a serious craft beer party.
SOCIAL KITCHEN & BREWERY
1326 9th Ave. • San Francisco, CA 94122 • (415) 681-0330 • SocialKitchenandBrewery.com<
br />
Located a short walk from Golden Gate Park, this brewpub opened in 2010 is a SF beer brunch must. What you find inside is a narrow yet roomy (as in, tall) brewpub with eighteen taps and a long bar inviting you to sit down and start tasting. With a gold medal for Mr. Kite’s Pale Ale in the Classic English Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival, 2015, head brewer Kim Sturdivant cemented his already stellar reputation. And the food is terrific. Try the braised brisket hash if they have it on, and a craft michelada. You’ll be all set.
CELLARMAKER BREWING
1150 Howard St. • San Francisco, CA 94103 • (415) 863-3940 • cellarmakerbrewing.com
Connor Casey and Tim Sciascia are brewing well-made, hop-forward ales with everything from South African Southern Passion to New Zealand Riwaka hops. Beers tend to be one-offs, but look for brews like Saison Francisco, aged in sauvignon blanc barrels with peaches and pluots, and Tiny Dankster (5.8% ABV), brewed with heaps of Mosaic, Citra, and Nelson hops.
TRIPLE ROCK BREWERY & ALEHOUSE
1920 Shattuck Ave. • Berkeley, CA 94704 • (510) 843-4677 • triplerock.com
A pilgrimage to Triple Rock is a trip into American craft brewing’s earliest days: When it opened in 1986 after a lengthy battle with town officials (who feared a factory), it became just the fifth brewpub in the United States. Today it’s the only of those five still owned by the founders. The Triple Rock is just as welcoming as ever, though with far better beer and a full menu. Try the Dragon’s Mike Brown Ale (6.5% ABV) with toffee, smoke, and floral notes that work well together.
FAT ANGEL FOOD & LIBATION
1740 O’Farrell St. • San Francisco, CA 94115 • 415-525-3013 • fatangelsf.com
This is your (note: tiny) spot to hit before a show at the historic Fillmore, which is right around the corner. The late afternoon is perfect timing for a seat outside. There’s an ambitious wine and cocktail program, but you’re there for the nine taps of draft and 100-plus bottle list, packed with obscure Belgians, sours, farmhouse ales, and rarities like the Evil Twin/Sante Adairius mashup Joey Pepper Belgian pale ale.
HEALTHY SPIRITS
1042 Clement St. • San Francisco, CA 94118 • (415) 682-4260 • healthy-spirits.blogspot.com • 2299 15th St. • San Francisco CA 94114 • (415) 255-0610
Simply put: this is a beer bottle shop with a huge selection, especially favoring Belgium and cultish American craft beers, as well as a bourbon and Middle Eastern foods (i.e., great hummus). Spotted recently: Prairie Artisan Ales, Cascade, Grimm (Brooklyn, NY), Anchorage, and Dieu du Ciel! out of Montreal, Canada.
HOPMONK TAVERN
230 Petaluma Ave. • Sebastopol, CA 95472 • (707) 829-7300 • hopmonk.com
Built in a gorgeous, old, stone barnlike structure and lined with 100-year-old salvaged Douglas fir floors, this spacious brewpub (established in 2008) features house ales among the sixteen taps and 100 bottled selections including a swath of Russian River, Sierra Nevada, and Anderson Valley beers. The menu features beer-focused cuisine, such as charcuterie plates, cider-braised salmon, and hot beer sausage. If you haven’t found it yet, this is the place to try Russian River’s superb Temptation, a 7.25% ABV blonde ale aged in Chardonnay barrels with a touch of Brettanomyces yeast. They also have a location in Novato and one in Sonoma.
BEAR REPUBLIC
345 Healdsburg Ave. • Healdsburg, CA 95448 • (707) 433-2337 • bearrepublic.com
Racer 5 is an American-style IPA of 7% ABV that, over the past few years, has likely zoomed into the best beer bars in America based on its incredibly floral aroma alone. It’s a reliably delicious beer, top in its class at the 2009 GABF, and now produced in a much bigger brewery nearby that isn’t open to the public. But the family-owned brewpub where it was born—decorated with memorabilia of auto racing—shows off what founder and head brewer Richard Norgrove has in the engine next, including one-offs in the original brewhouse.
FIGUEROA MTN. BREWING CO.
45 Industrial Way • Buellton, CA 93427 • (805) 694-2252, ext. 110 • figmtnbrew.com
With multiple, additional locations from Malibu all the way up to San Luis Obispo, this Santa Barbara County mainstay founded in 2010 in Buellton has horseshoes, fire pits, bean bag toss, and hordes of local fans. In recent years “Fig Mountain” as some call it has racked up a crazy number of medals at GABF and even the World Beer Cup. There’s an array of lighter kölsch and summery wheat beers in every spot, but don’t miss the malty Danish Red Lager (5.5% ABV) and robust Davy Brown (6% ABV), both super clean beers brewed to traditional styles.
LIBERTINE BREWING CO.
1234 Broad St. • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 • (805) 548-2337 • libertinebrewing.com
Founded in 2012, Libertine grew from a funky, little brewpub on Morro Bay into a 9,000-square-foot facility with a brewery, tasting room, restaurant, and coffee shop in downtown San Luis Obispo. Inside: a small copper-clad brewhouse surrounded by oak barrels, where founder/brewer Tyler Clark oversees production of a range of experimental brews like a recent saison hopped with obscure hops called Lemon Drop and Boadicia. You’ll get a dollar off your pour if you show up with your own vinyl records; spin some tunes while watching Clark and the brewers wield every artisanal method you can think of: super heated volcanic rocks, a coolship (see page 265), and wood-barrel aging.
WAYPOINT PUBLIC
3794 30th St. • San Diego, CA 92104 • (619) 255-8778 • waypointpublic.com
Opened in 2013 with former Top Chef contestant Amanda Baumgarten at the stove, this spacious, bright, and stylish gastropub was a great addition to an already amazing beer lovers’ neighborhood: North Park. Baumgarten moved on, but the restaurant hasn’t really missed a step, with a huge variety of comfort foods and sought-after CA beers from the likes of Almanac, Noble Ale Works, Alpine, and Societe. Cofounder Brian Jensen also owns the terrific Bottlecraft shops in San Diego’s North Park and Little Italy neighborhoods (make sure to check them out when in the area).
BAGBY BEER COMPANY
601 S. Coast Hwy. • Oceanside, CA 92054 • (760) 270-9075 • bagbybeer.com
With the motto of “World-class beer, simple food done well, inviting hospitality,” industry veteran Jeff Bagby moved into an 8,500-square-foot brewery and spare lot in 2012. The former Pizza Port Ocean Beach brewer had racked up so many awards it was only a matter of time before he stepped out on his own. The Oceanside brewpub is clean, modern, and open, with pale varnished woods, shiny gray-brown tiles, and chartreuse walls, and multiple outdoor patios. Try whatever’s fresh, especially pale Belgian style blondes like the crisp, 4.4% Yvanke, and snack on yellowtail crudo and local pork belly, just for starters.
HAWAII
BACK IN THE LATE-1960S “TINY BUBBLES” ERA OF DON HO—AND THE LAST DAYS OF SURFING pioneer Duke Kahanamoku—the Hawaiian Islands’ beloved beer was an inexpensive industrial lager called Primo, which lacked much flavor but dated all the way back to 1898. The nostalgic brand withered away over the next couple of decades as corporate owners (Schlitz, then Stroh, then Pabst) moved production to the mainland and scrimped on glass and ingredients, choices that won’t ever spur much of a luau.
These days, craft beer is surfing its own wave in the islands, brewing the freshest, best beer they can for the breezy beaches of the fiftieth state. Beer bars, beer blogs, and bottle shops—the trifecta of businesses that complement great local breweries—are popping up all over the place. Even the restaurants are getting into it. Town, in the hip Kaimuki neighborhood of Honolulu on Oahu is doing great business with local brewers. On Maui, in Lahaina at Mala Ocean Tavern, you can drink world-class Jolly Pumpkin sour beer overlooking the ocean. On and on it goes, like waves off a nice point break. There are even breweries popping up on Kauai, the Garden Isle I visit every winter. It’s not at all easy to brew in paradise—there are no malt houses or large hop suppliers, for starters—but that’s not keeping craft beer from finding a home, their taprooms full, and their kegs running dry.
Maui
MAUI BREWING CO.
605 Lipoa Pkwy. • Kihei, Maui, HI 96753 (808) 213-3002 • mauibrewingco.com • Established: 2005
Kahana Gateway Center • 4405 Honoapiilani Hwy., No. 217 • Lahaina, HI 96761 • Established: 2009
SCENE & STORY
What’s paradise without incredible beer? Exactly. When you tire of nearby Kaanapali Beach (if such a thing is possible), take a break from tiki drinks and head for a taste of the best beer in the islands. Known by its unmista.k.a.ble cans (especially the retro hula girl on Bikini Blonde Lager), Maui Brewing is the only microbrewery on Maui; in many ways it could be the natural heir to Primo, only with a far better beer, but the focus is more on quality than quantity. Founded by the outgoing Garrett Marrero and Melanie Oxley, Maui Brewing Company is nevertheless finding a bigger audience with each batch, having made 400 barrels by the end of year one—and 11,000 a year later in 2010. A major expansion completed in 2015 moved the brewery from Lahaina to Kihei.
There’s a tasting room at the new brewery location, but the newer brewpub—a sleek, modern space with high ceilings and large U-shaped bar island—is a little more accommodating, open every day of the week from 11 a.m. to midnight. The pub serves Maui’s three year-round beers, all of them good: Bikini Blonde, Big Swell IPA, and the award-winning CoCoNut PorTeR—a far better beer than it sounds. Then there are ten more taps of brewpub-only and experimental offerings, a small number of which make their way to the Left Coast on occasion. Marrero, from San Diego originally, features guest taps like Stone alongside his own brews. Recently, Marrero’s experiments included a collaboration brew with Pizza Port and brown ale made with a famous local ingredient: the sweet Maui onion.
He sees it as part and parcel of a holistic, back-to-the-land lifestyle. “In these days of mass production of sub par, unnatural products, we need to get some attention back on knowing where your food and drink comes from,” says Marrero. “It is sad to see local farms across the country closing at an alarming rate when they really are the backbone of fresh, local, organic, and natural food products. It’s also fun to see people’s faces when you say ‘Hey, try my Maui Onion Beer,’ and they look at you almost cross-eyed: ‘Onion in beer? Weird . . . I have to try that!’”